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Peatland Fires Darken Skies in Indonesia

Wildfires fueled by a super El Nino are destroying Indonesian peatlands and releasing toxic smoke that impairs breathing. In South Sumatra, schools have transitioned to remote learning as the haze worsens. The crisis has evolved into a recurrent transboundary environmental problem for Southeast Asia, with smoke spreading beyond Indonesia's borders. While regional bodies like ASEAN seek solutions, the immediate impact remains severe for local populations struggling with air quality and disrupted education.

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What changed

Schools in South Sumatra have switched to remote learning due to worsening air quality.

Live updates

  1. Indonesian Peatland Fires Force School Closures Amid Toxic Haze

    Wildfires fueled by a super El Nino are destroying Indonesian peatlands and releasing toxic smoke that impairs breathing. In South Sumatra, schools have transitioned to remote learning as the haze worsens. The crisis has evolved into a recurrent transboundary environmental problem for Southeast Asia, with smoke spreading beyond Indonesia's borders. While regional bodies like ASEAN seek solutions, the immediate impact remains severe for local populations struggling with air quality and disrupted education.

    Why it matters

    Peatland fires are particularly hazardous because they smolder underground and release higher pollutant levels than typical forest fires. These events recur every few years across Borneo and Sumatra. The current intensity is linked to severe drought and a strengthening El Nino pattern.

    What is confirmed

    • Wildfires are destroying peatlands and creating toxic smoke across parts of Indonesia.
    • The haze from forest fires is a recurrent transboundary problem for Southeast Asia.

    Still unconfirmed

    • Schools in South Sumatra province have switched to remote learning.

    What to watch next

    • ASEAN policy changes regarding accountability and fire prevention
    • Satellite data on the spread of toxic smoke into neighboring countries
    Sources used for this update (6)
    1. theconversation.com — Why does Southeast Asia keep breathing the same haze — and can ASEAN do more to stop it?
    2. www.sciencedaily.com — Scientists find a new weakness in treatment-resistant prostate cancer
    3. Phys.org — Why does Southeast Asia keeps breathing the same haze—and can ASEAN do more to stop it?
    4. apnews.com — More schools close in Indonesia due to worsening haze from forest fires
    5. www.cnn.com — Super El Niño-fueled fires destroyed huge tracts of this country before. They’re happening again
    6. www.earth.com — Anak Krakatau erupts as enormous ash cloud spreads across Indonesia
    confidence 90%

  2. Underground Peat Fires Outpace Firefighters in Indonesia

    Smog continues to blanket Indonesia and neighboring Southeast Asian nations as fires ravage Borneo and Sumatra. Severe drought and a strengthening El Nino have triggered underground peat fires that smolder for months. These blazes release higher levels of pollutants and fine particles than standard tropical forest fires. In Borneo, firefighters working around the clock cannot keep pace with the speed of the fires, which are shrouding local communities in a cloying haze. Thick smoke is also hindering satellite detection of these underground hotspots.

    Why it matters

    Peatlands are carbon-rich wetlands that become highly flammable during extreme dry periods. When these areas burn, they create toxic haze that crosses international borders, impacting air quality in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei.

    What is confirmed

    • Fires have burned large areas of Borneo and Sumatra for weeks.
    • A strengthening El Nino and severe drought are drying out wetlands.
    • Peat fires can burn underground for months and release more fine particles and pollutants than typical tropical forest fires.
    • Dense plumes of toxic haze are drifting into neighboring countries.

    Still unconfirmed

    • Thick smoke makes underground peat fires difficult for satellites to detect.
    • Firefighters in Borneo are unable to keep up with the speed of the blazes.

    What to watch next

    • Satellite data confirming the exact acreage of underground smoldering
    • Official government reports on firefighter casualty rates or resource shortages in Borneo
    Sources used for this update (8)
    1. Phys.org — How haze from Indonesian fires impacts Southeast Asia
    2. www.sciencedaily.com — Indonesia’s most dangerous fires are burning underground
    3. www.sciencedaily.com — This lifestyle program improved cognition 55% more than basic health advice
    4. Phys.org — 'Truly scared': Blazes outpace firefighters in Indonesian Borneo
    5. www.sciencedaily.com — Cialis linked to higher glaucoma risk in large study
    6. www.sciencedaily.com — An important step towards detecting fractons in quantum spin liquids
    7. asiatimes.com — The deliberate crime of Indonesia’s toxic haze
    8. www.sciencedaily.com — Doctors saved this rare monkey from amputation. Months later, she gave birth
    confidence 90%

  3. Peatland Wildfires Darken Indonesian Skies As Haze Spreads

    Toxic wildfire haze from peatland fires in Indonesia has darkened skies and crossed international borders, blanketing parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Brunei as a super El Nino intensifies. Air quality in Singapore dropped to unhealthy levels, leaving the city with the third-worst air quality globally by late afternoon according to IQAir. The active blazes have burned an area four times the size of Singapore and are spreading near Indonesia's new capital, triggering urgent calls for action.

    Why it matters

    The intensifying super El Nino is driving severe regional environmental stress, worsening the peatland fires that annually threaten Southeast Asia. Toxic smoke crossing national boundaries poses severe public health threats and disrupts daily life across multiple countries. The proximity of the fires to Indonesia's new capital adds critical urgency to containment efforts.

    What is confirmed

    • Toxic wildfire haze from Indonesia has spread across Southeast Asia as a super El Nino intensifies.
    • Wildfires have burned an area four times the size of Singapore.
    • Haze from the fires has blanketed parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Singapore.
    • Wildfires have spread near Indonesia's new capital, prompting calls for action.
    • Singaporean residents woke to a smoggy sky on September 4 as air quality reached unhealthy levels and ranked third-worst globally by late afternoon according to IQAir.

    What to watch next

    • Further containment updates near Indonesia's new capital
    • Additional air quality measurements and health advisories across affected Southeast Asian nations
    Sources used for this update (8)
    1. BBC — Toxic wildfire haze spreads across South East Asia as 'super' El Niño intensifies
    2. NASA Science (.gov) — Peatland Fires Darken Skies in Indonesia
    3. The New York Times — Haze From Indonesian Wildfires Blankets Parts of Malaysia, Philippines
    4. ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation — Area four times size of Singapore burns in Indonesia's wildfires
    5. Yahoo — Wildfires spread near Indonesia's new capital, prompting calls for action
    6. news.mongabay.com — As Indonesia’s wildfires rage, haze spreads farther across Southeast Asia
    7. www.sciencedaily.com — Life uses 4 DNA letters. Scientists just made 8 work
    8. sciencedaily.com — Quantum oscillations defy expectations in this exotic material
    confidence 100%